This invention relates generally to a disposable body fluid absorbent garment and more particularly to such a garment provided with means for securing the garment in a rolled up state convenient for disposal thereof.
Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Application No. Sho58-22908 discloses a disposable diaper provided with disposal securing means for securing the diaper in a rolled up or folded state after it has been removed from a wearer. Such disposal securing means is effective to prevent any stained portion of the diaper from being exposed. Therefore, the used diaper can be disposed in a manner which is preferable from both aesthetic and sanitary viewpoints.
A diaper disclosed in EP 0 732 094 A2 uses longitudinally stretchable or elastic disposal securing means for disposal of the diaper. Such disposal securing means can be conveniently maintained to be relatively short before its actual use so that the diaper may be put on or removed from a wearer without being obstructed by the presence of the disposal securing means.
Generally, such disposal securing means made of a stretchable or elastic strip of tape is stretched and secured around the used diaper, which has been conveniently rolled up for disposal, by fixing an end of the disposal securing means to a surface of the used diaper. As the disposal securing means is stretched, tension in the disposal securing means tends to peel the disposal securing means end off the surface. Accordingly, excessively weak fixation of the end of the disposal securing means may cause this end to be readily peeled off the used diaper, and excessively firm fixation may cause a sheet forming the surface of the diaper to be torn as the means is stretched, resulting in exposure of an absorbent core of the diaper smeared with excretion and/or leakage of excretion""s malodor from the absorbent core.
Therefore, it is a principal object of the invention to improve the disposal securing means for securing a garment, such as a diaper, in a rolled up or folded state for disposal so that the disposal securing means can neither be completely peeled off the garment nor tear the garment surface.
The object set forth above is achieved, according to an aspect of the invention, by a disposable body fluid absorbent garment having a skin-contactable surface intended to be in contact with the skin of a wearer, and a skin-non-contactable surface provided with disposal securing means being stretchable at least in one direction in order to be secured around the garment which has been rolled up for disposal.
The disposal securing means comprises a substantially non-stretchable first strip section having inner and outer surfaces and first and second end portions, a substantially non-stretchable second strip section having inner and outer surfaces and first and second end portions, and a third strip section having inner and outer surfaces and proximal and free end portions. The free end portion is provided on the inner surface of the third strip section with a securing region. The third strip section further includes a stretchable extent defined between the proximal and free end portions. The first and second strip sections have the respective inner surfaces which are bonded to the skin-non-contactable surface so that these two strip sections are longitudinally aligned with each other. The first end portion of the first strip section is connected between the first and second end portions of the second strip section. The third strip section has the proximal end portion connected to at least one of the respective first end portions of the first and second strip sections, and the securing region provided on the free end portion of the third strip section is separably held against the outer surface of the first strip section in the proximity of its second end portion.
The first, second and third strip sections have holding forces H1, H2 and H3, respectively, for holding them against the skin-non-contactable surface. The holding force H1 is sufficient to hold the first strip section against the skin-non-contactable surface against a stretching stress generated in the third strip section as the third strip section is peeled off the first strip section, stretched and held against the skin-non-contactable surface with the securing region. The respective holding forces are selected so that H3 greater than H1xe2x89xa7H2, wherein the holding force H2 is selected so that the second strip section may be peeled off the skin-non-contactable surface before the skin-non-contactable surface is torn.
According to another aspect of the invention, the object set forth above is achieved by a disposable body fluid absorbent garment having a skin-contactable surface intended to be in contact with the skin of a wearer, and a skin-non-contactable surface provided with disposal securing means being stretchable at least in one direction in order to be secured around the garment which has been rolled up for disposal.
The disposal securing means comprises a substantially non-stretchable strip section having inner and outer surfaces and first and second end portions, and a stretchable strip section having inner and outer surfaces and proximal and free end portions. The free end portion is provided on the inner surface of the stretchable strip section with a securing region. The stretchable strip section further has a stretchable extent defined between the proximal and free end portions. The first and second end portions of the non-stretchable strip section are directly attached to the skin-non-contactable surface with discrete first and second adhesive portions, respectively, for holding the non-stretchable strip section against the skin-non-contactable surface by respective holding forces h1, and h5. The stretchable strip section has its proximal end portion connected to the first end portion of the non-stretchable strip section strip section, and the securing region is separably held against the non-stretchable strip section in the proximity of its second end portion.
The holding force h5 generated in the second adhesive portion is sufficient to hold the non-stretchable strip section against the skin-non-contactable surface against a stretching stress generated in the stretchable strip section as the stretchable strip section is peeled off the non-stretchable strip section, stretched and held against the skin-non-contactable surface, to maintain the garment in a rolled configuration with a holding force H3 of the securing region, after use. The holding forces are selected so that H3 greater than h5xe2x89xa7h1. The holding force h1 is selected to enable release of the first adhesive portion from the skin-non-contactable surface before the skin-non-contactable surface is torn.